BA in Theatre - Writing for Performance in Columbia United States | University of Missouri

Students pursuing a BA in Theatre with a focus on Writing for Performance engage in a program featuring a structured progression of creative writing and literature courses, highlighting the artistry and techniques of writing for theatrical performance. At MU, aspiring playwrights bring their narratives to life through carefully crafted dialogue and character actions. The curriculum encompasses foundational and advanced studies in playwriting, acting, directing, dramaturgy, theatre history, script analysis, performance studies, global dramatic literature, adapting literature for stage and screen, and writing for film and television. Learners explore dramatic composition, narrative architecture, in-depth character creation, and specialized playwriting challenges and methods. Participants contribute to our yearly Life and Literature Performance Series, showcasing student-authored plays, stories, poems, literary adaptations, devised theatre pieces, ethnographic works, performance art, musical compositions, and dance performances. Emerging playwrights see their works performed weekly at the Missouri Playwrights Workshop, featured as staged readings in our Mizzou New Play Series and summer Comedies-in-Concert Series, and fully realized in our Academic Season as mainstage productions. Opportunities abound for students to present short plays, one-acts, and full-length works at local, regional, and national theatre gatherings, including the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Alumni find success across the entertainment industry in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and nationwide, working as playwrights, screenwriters, dramaturgs, editors, storytellers, and educators who captivate audiences with their creative vision and theatrical innovation.